This invention relates to a center sill of the type used in a standard open-top railway hopper car, and more particularly to the portion of the sill to which a center brace is applied.
In a standard open-top hopper railway car, the center sill extends the full length of the car and a separate cast center brace or bolster center filler is applied or inserted into the sill. The as-cast brace is usually not within the accepted dimensional tolerances and is brought within those tolerances by (1) hot die pressing or (2) machining prior to insertion of the brace in the sill. After insertion the brace is welded to the sill.
It is desirable to avoid both the hot pressing operations and the machining operations, and it is therefore an object of this invention to provide a center sill and center brace assembly which obviates the need for hot pressing or its equivalent machining.
Heretofore casting and handling problems have occurred in connection with the manufacture of center sills and with draft arms, which are a section of the sill including the brace and coupler.
It is another object of this invention to avoid the casting and handling problems associated with center sills and draft arms.
Center sills are either of the well-known double-Z or Wierton-type, and it is thus yet another object to provide a center brace member which can be used with either type of sill.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a center-sill-and-center-brace member of relatively simple design and construction, that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install, dependable in operation, and capable of performing properly after long periods of use.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.